Typically, an instrument panel is installed within a forward portion of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, such as an automobile. A metallic vehicle body reinforcing material, which extends in a direction of a width of the vehicle, is positioned within an interior portion of the instrument panel thereof. The vehicle body reinforcing material is a metallic material, i.e., a metallic vehicle body material, which links a left and a right vehicle body panel, and is referred to as a cross car beam, or, by virtue of supporting a steering column, a steering support member.
Conversely, a wire harness, which is referred to as a main harness, is installed in a line with the vehicle body reinforcing material. As an instance thereof, a wire harness A, such as is depicted in FIG. 13, bundles together a plurality of a wire type B, and such as a connector is mounted upon a terminus portion of each respective wire type B thereof.
A shielding characteristic of such a wire harness A is demanded against a noise that is generated by a noise generation source C that is external thereto, and a shielding characteristic of such a wire harness A is also demanded against a noise that is generated by a noise generation source D that is internal thereto, such as is depicted in FIG. 14 A and FIG. 14 B. As a consequence thereof, an expensive shielded wire, with a thick diameter, is employed as the wire type B thereof. It is to be understood that the noise generation source C that is external to the wire type B may comprise an electrical component such as an electric motor, an inverter, or an electric power supply device. In addition, an electric wave noise may also arise external to the vehicle. Conversely, the noise generation source D that is internal to the wire type B may comprise a wire that is within the wire type B thereof.
A problem arises with such a crucial wire harness, which is long, and comprising the thick diameter, in that the wire harness thereof is expensive and difficult to work with. Accordingly, making the wire harness thereof into a modular construction, with an objective of making the wire harness thereof inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to work with, has been studied; refer, as an instance thereof, to Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2005-158931, and Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2006-44587.
With regard to the conventional wire harness A, however, an expensive shield wire, comprising a thick diameter, is employed with the wire type B, in order to ensure the shielding characteristic thereof against the noise generation source C or D that is external or internal thereto, as is described herein. As a consequence thereof, a problem arises wherein an overall thickness of the wire type B increases, resulting in a long wire harness with a thick diameter that is difficult to work with. In addition, a problem arises wherein it is difficult to position such a thick wire harness in a close proximity to the noise generation source C that is external thereto. Furthermore, with regard to the conventional wire harness A, a location of the wire type B that is bundled together therein is distinct from one another, as is depicted in FIG. 14 A and FIG. 14 B. As a consequence thereof, reproducibility with respect to a malfunction caused by the noise is low, and it has thus been difficult to take a countermeasure for preventing a recurrence thereof.
In addition, the module, i.e., the harness module that is disclosed according to Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2005-158931 comprises a structure wherein a plurality of length substrates are layered one upon another. A problem of an increased cost arises as a consequence thereof. In addition, the module, i.e., the harness module that is disclosed according to Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2006-44587 comprises a structure wherein a plurality of wires is left unused. A problem arises as a consequence thereof, in that a weight reduction or an improvement in an ease of working with the module, i.e., the harness module, thus disclosed is insufficient therewith.